Florida Siblings File Legal Action Against Celebrity Cruises Following Violent Nightclub Assault Aboard Celebrity Ascent
Jamison Spellacy and Carlee Spellacy, both residents of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, have filed a federal maritime lawsuit against Celebrity Cruises, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The equitable action, filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-23759-KMW, seeks a Pure Bill of Discovery to compel the cruise line to release critical evidence, security footage, and the true identity of an assailant following a violent altercation on the cruise ship. The incident left one sibling with severe brain injuries and the other with deep emotional trauma during a European voyage.
Celebrity Cruise Passenger Suffers Brain Bleeds in Nightclub Fight Due to Alleged Lack of Onboard Security
According to the federal complaint, the incident occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. on July 1, 2025, while the siblings were paid guests aboard the vessel Celebrity Ascent. The brother and sister were inside The Club, a dance venue and nightclub located on Deck 4 of the ship, when a physical fight erupted among a group of passengers nearby. The plaintiffs allege that no Celebrity Cruises security personnel were present in the venue to intervene or break up the expanding altercation. In an effort to protect bystanders, including his sister, Jamison Spellacy attempted to peacefully de-escalate the tension. While attempting to calm the situation, an unidentified male passenger, designated as John Doe in the court documents, violently struck Jamison Spellacy on the back of his head, immediately rendering him unconscious.
Brother Unresponsive Aboard Celebrity Ascent as Sister Suffers Severe Emotional Distress From Assault
The legal filing describes a harrowing scene inside the ship nightclub where Jamison Spellacy lay completely unresponsive and lifeless in his sister’s arms for an estimated five to ten minutes before regaining consciousness. During this time, Carlee Spellacy feared her brother was dead or dying, causing her to suffer extreme emotional distress. Following the attack, the injured passenger spent several hours inside the ship medical facility undergoing emergency stabilization. Once the vessel docked near Rome, Italy, he was urgently transported by ambulance to a local hospital in the San Paulo District. Medical professionals at the Italian hospital diagnosed him with multiple brain bleeds and other significant physical trauma, resulting in a mandatory hospital admission lasting three days and two nights. The severity of the injuries forced the siblings’ father to disembark the ship entirely, abandoning the remainder of his scheduled travels to care for his incapacitated son.
Plaintiffs Accuse Celebrity Cruises of Concealing Attacker Identity and Withholding Crucial Surveillance Video
The core of the legal action centers on allegations that Celebrity Cruises is actively withholding vital records that identify the specific passenger who committed the act of violence. The plaintiffs assert that the cruise line possesses comprehensive information regarding the assailant, including documentation of prior disruptive behavior or incidents of concern involving this same passenger in the days leading up to the nightclub assault. Despite diligent efforts by the family and their legal team, Celebrity Cruises has denied direct requests to release the identity of the offending passenger. Furthermore, the family attempted to obtain investigative files from local Italian law enforcement officials in Civitavecchia who investigated the assault, but those international requests have gone unanswered, and the plaintiffs lack the subpoena power to compel a foreign police force to comply.
Sibling Plaintiffs Seek Court Order for Incident Reports, Medical Files, and Nightclub Security Footage
To prevent a failure of justice and properly formulate a future personal injury lawsuit, the plaintiffs are seeking a court order to force Celebrity Cruises to disclose ten specific categories of evidence currently within its exclusive possession and control. The discovery demands include the ship internal security incident reports, all witness statements, and any records provided by Italian police officers. Additionally, the filings demand all security and surveillance video footage captured inside and around The Club on Deck 4, including nearby elevator banks, covering a six and a half hour window surrounding the time of the brawl. The family is also seeking the onboard medical records detailing the diagnosis and treatment of the brain injuries, documentation regarding the cruise line decision to remove the assailant and his traveling companions from the ship, and any prior history of complaints against the attacker on Celebrity Cruises or its sister cruise lines.
Contact a Cruise Ship Nightclub Assault Lawyer Today if You Were Injured on a Vessel Due to Inadequate Security
Cruise ship passengers who suffer physical injuries due to shipboard violence, passenger fights, or a lack of trained security personnel may be entitled to financial compensation under maritime law. Cruise lines have a strict legal duty to maintain a safe environment for their guests, monitor alcohol distribution, and provide adequate security staffing to prevent foreseeable harm and physical altercations in onboard clubs and lounges. If you or a loved one was injured in a similar cruise ship fight or suffered a slip and fall or assault while vacationing at sea, contact our team of experienced maritime injury lawyers today. We are here to help you understand your legal rights and explore your options for holding the cruise line accountable.
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Disclaimer: Our firm does not represent the plaintiff in this case and is not involved in the litigation. The information provided is a summary of allegations based on publicly available court filings. We make no representations about the truth of these allegations, are not commenting on the merits of the case, and are not predicting any outcome.
